Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, explained his decision during the postgame press conference. “Gabriel wanted to take the last penalty. We trained for that moment.” Gabriel ended up missing it the penalty and granted PSG the Champions League title.

Arteta also explained that usually, the penalty takers are Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz. All three of them were subbed off by Arteta even before the 90 minutes of regulation against PSG had been played in full.

Arteta blamed the circumstances of the game as cause of Gabriel’s miss

As Arteta recalls, Gabriel didn’t miss a single penalty during training sessions. “Then you have to do these moments, it’s unfortunate not to have the same precision and they (PSG) had, and that’s the reason we haven’t won it (Champions League).”

Basically, the atmosphere, the high-stakes moment, and the tension got the best of Gabriel according to Arteta. However, Arteta himself must be criticized, as even if Gabriel was doing great in training, this was not the scenario or the space to put him in as this was the first penalty Gabriel had ever taken for the team.

Gabriel wasn’t the only one to miss the target during the penalty shootout

While all the blame is going towards Gabriel as it was the decisive penalty, he wasn’t the only one to miss his shot. In fact, there’s an argument to say Eberechi Eze’s missed penalty was even worse.

Eze took a slow, long run-in, then almost paused, made a quick jump and shot. However, PSG’s goalkeeper Matvey Safonov didn’t buy all the shenanigans and stayed focused, without giving away anything. That caused Eze to panic and make his shot almost unbalanced. He missed it wide. While Arteta said Arsenal practiced, missing the goal on two penalties is quite unacceptable.

During the first period of extra time, Nuno Mendes came down heavily on Madueke, but the VAR did not intervene to review the incident. What could have been a penalty for Arsenal ultimately came to nothing, and Arteta was left unhappy with the decision.

“It can easily be a penalty… the referee has made a decision and a different one with Mosquera – and yeah it’s an important one,” the manager said via TNT Sports.

Arteta also expressed pride in his squad despite the final result, making it clear that Luis Enrique, who has won his third UCL trophy as a manager, and PSG are the best team. “Congratulations to PSG and to Luis Enrique.“

Arteta overcome with pain after UCL Final

The penalty shootout defeat to PSG still places Arsenal among those popular teams that were unable to win the Champions League. Understandably, the emotions after the loss were ones of disappointment, with pain taking over Arteta in the aftermath of the match.

“It is very tough to accept. We were so consistent in the competition all the way to the final, and then lose the trophy on penalties… No one can take that pain away from you,” the manager said to the press. “We got the big one [the Premier League], but we missed out on the biggest one.”

Gabriel Magalhaes decided the UCL Final in the shootout

Gabriel Magalhaes took the final penalty for Arsenal, and fortune was not on his side. The ball went slightly over the crossbar, and it was after the match that Mikel Arteta was questioned regarding this decision.

“Gabriel wanted to take the last penalty. We trained for that moment,” the manager revealed to the press.

What’s next for Arsenal and PSG?

With the 2026 UEFA Champions League concluded, both teams are already looking ahead to what comes next. Arsenal, last season’s Premier League champions, have secured their place in the next edition and will now be able to rest and focus on preparing for the next campaign.

Meanwhile, PSG already have their sights set on the match against Aston Villa, winners of the most recent Europa League, in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.

Following the match, Declan Rice had a message for his teammates: “It’s a lottery. Some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties in finals, and we were on the receiving end.” Rice added. “We gave absolutely everything… we win together, and we lose together,” Declan Rice affirmed. And, for good reason, not becoming champions without losing a match must be incredibly tough.

He also demonstrated why he is the captain of this great team led by Mikel Arteta, showing his support to everyone and not letting anyone down, ensuring that everything they achieved this season would have been possible. “I’m so proud of the boys. We will be back. We love them and we are with them. Without them, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League. We have to be proud.”

“Gabriel, I have run out of words for him as a player and with Eze, he’s got crucial goals for us this season. It’s cruel, but we’ll take the positives and keep going.” Rice concluded.

The devastating penalty shootout

Here, two sides exist: the one that wins and emerges successful from that penalty shootout, and the one that loses it with players who missed their respective spot kicks, which is the case for Gabriel Magalhaes and Eberechi Eze, who, despite being key pieces in the team, could receive a lot of blame from the fans. And also be runner-up after finishing as unbeaten runners-up.

Gabriel Magalhaes shot the last of his team’s penalties over the bar to hand PSG a 4-3 shootout victory. Eberechi Eze also missed an earlier spot kick, but David Raya saved from Nuno Mendes to let Arsenal stay level.

Lucas Beraldo scored the last of PSG’s spot kicks, meaning Arsenal‘s defender had to convert to take it to sudden death, but he missed to spark celebrations from PSG players and fans inside Puskas Arena.

The other side of the coin

PSG, on the other hand, consecrate themselves as back-to-back champions of the competition, a club that chased it for so many years and struggled for years to get over the line in the Champions League despite huge investment from their Qatari owners.

But they have flipped the script under Luis Enrique to become only the second side in the Champions League era to defend the trophy. And without star names from the start, we consider them as such now entirely because of the development given to them by Luis Enrique, such as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and even Ousmane Dembele himself, who is currently having his prime.

Immediately after Arsenal lost the penalty shootout that left PSG as back to back Champions League winners, Chelsea posted a photo of plenty of trophies, with the Champions League hardware as the main one and a caption that stated “Come and visit London’s Home of Trophies.“

Chelsea are the only team in London to have Champions League triumphs, and they wasted no time to remember that to Arsenal. Also, they cheekily disguised the post as an ad to visit their stadium, Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea double Arsenal in Champions League success in much less time

While Arsenal have a history of being labeled as a ‘big team‘ in England, the fact is that not having Champions League trophies is quite the blow when compared to other big English teams, Chelsea included. The Blues have two Champions League trophies, and they became relevant and perennial contenders in the mid 2000s.

Before that, Chelsea were a humble club with no major aspirations. That changed when Roman Abramovich bought the club. Since then (2003), Chelsea won two Champions Leagues (2012, 2021), and five Premier League titles. Arsenal, since 2003, have lost two Champions League finals, and won just two Premier League titles.

Chelsea also have bragging rights against PSG

PSG became back to back Champions League winners, but Chelsea could’ve also mocked them if they wanted. Last season, PSG and Chelsea played on the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup final. PSG were at the verge of winning all six major trophies possible in a single season and were regarded as easily the best team in the world.

However, in what was an incredible upset, Chelsea dominated PSG from start to finish and won 3-0. Hence, if the Blues also wanted to take a jab at the Parisians, they could. Having said all of this, the 2025-26 season was dreadful for Chelsea, as they ended 10th in the Premier League and will miss European competitions in the next campaign.

Mikel Arteta’s side played a total of 15 matches, including the league phase and knockout rounds, prior to the final. They won 11 and drew 4, with the 1-1 draw against PSG in the final being their last match of the campaign.

Kai Havertz gave the London side hope after opening the scoring early in the match. However, Ousmane Dembele equalized from the penalty spot, sending the game into extra time. Arsenal will now have to wait at least one more year in their quest to be crowned European champions.

PSG are back-to-back European champions

Luis Enrique added another Champions League trophy to his collection. This time, once again with PSG, securing an exceptional back-to-back title run. Last season, the Parisian side thrashed Inter, and today it prevailed on penalties against Arsenal.

A back-and-forth match in which neither side held anything back. The dramatic outcome was ultimately decided from the penalty spot, with Gabriel Magalhaes missing the final kick, handing the title to the French team.

Now PSG will face Aston Villa, Europa League champions, in a crucial clash to determine who is truly the best team in Europe. Can PSG go on to secure another title?

Atletico Madrid finished unbeaten but missed out on the title, in an intriguing twist

Despite finishing the 1973–74 European Cup campaign undefeated, Atletico Madrid cruelly missed out on the title against Bayern Munich in a heartbreaking twist of fate. Tied 1–1 after extra time in the final—with no penalty shootouts used to decide a winner back then—the match was forced into a replay just two days later, where a exhausted Atleti side fell 4–0.

Because of nights like that, Atletico remains one of the most popular teams who have never won the competition, despite coming agonizingly close to continental glory.

Dembele favored his right leg and struggled to even balance himself on that leg. The French star had troubles even trying to stabilize his leg. That prompted PSG manager Luis Enrique to sub Dembele off due to injury.

While the actual severity of the injury has not been disclosed, it’s worrisome that the player could not end the match. Alerts go off in France as they could miss a Ballon d’Or winner if the injury lingers all the way through the 2026 World Cup.

Dembele was doubtful before the Champions League final

Dembele was dealing, precisely, with a right calf muscle injury prior to this game. He first felt the discomfort in PSG’s final game of Ligue 1 vs. Paris FC. While it’s not clear if Dembele reinjured himself, the fact that Dembele was nursing the same leg he injured this time around might call for speculation awaiting on the official statement.

Dembele has a long list of muscle injuries in his career. However, this came in the worst moment possible, as it was in a crucial match vs. Arsenal with the Champions League on the line, and also just under 12 days away from the start of the 2026 World Cup.

PSG had to change schemes

While not in the literal sense of the word, as the 4-3-3 remained, the fact that Dembele left the field forced Luis Enrique to change the style of play, as Goncalo Ramos is much more of a traditional nine.

Dembele allows PSG to play freely, with a more dribbling and speedy-oriented style. Ramos is a typical center forward that will have to be nurtured with goalscoring opportunities.

After Kai Havertz joined Cristiano Ronaldo on an exclusive list of historic final goalscorers with his opener against Paris Saint-Germain, Ousmane Dembele also carved out his own piece of history with a second-half equalizer against Arsenal.

Per Spanish soccer data analyst MisterChip, Dembele became the only player since 2017 to score in a Champions League final as the reigning Ballon d’Or recipient—a legendary feat previously achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo during Real Madrid’s triumph over Juventus.

Can Ousmane Dembele win back-to-back Ballon d’Ors?

Dembele has put together a more discreet season so far compared to the sensational campaign that earned him his first Ballon d’Or. Nevertheless, his crucial goal in the Champions League final could very well pave the way for him to contend for back-to-back accolades.

In a FIFA World Cup year, the prestigious international tournament typically serves as the defining competition that journalists and judges evaluate for individual awards.

In 2023, Lionel Messi was awarded the Ballon d’Or largely due to leading Argentina to a FIFA World Cup victory. Erling Haaland was regarded as a formidable contender after winning the historic treble with Manchester City, yet voters ultimately decided that the World Cup title carried far more weight in the final decision.

As of today, it appears the 2026 FIFA World Cup—hosted across Mexico, Canada, and the United States—will ultimately decide who claims the next golden ball, with France and Ousmane Dembele firmly positioned as top contenders for global glory.

Havertz scored the game-winning, title-clinching goal for Chelsea in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City. This time around, he’s doing his part to help another London-based club conquer Europe.

While Havertz scored against Man. City, Messi’s favorite victim was the other club in that city, Manchester United. Messi has two goals in Champions League finals, both against the Red Devils though in different years. His first was in 2009, as Barcelona defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man. U in Rome.

Messi’s second goal in a UCL final was the game-winner at Wembley Stadium in 2011, when Barcelona defeated Man. United 3-1. In 2015, Barcelona defeated Juventus by a score of 3-1, but Messi didn’t score as he hoisted the trophy for the fourth time in his career.

Havertz strikes again

“Cobra Kai” is proving to be clutch, once more. So far in his career, he’s appeared in two Champions League finals, and he’s found the back of the net in both ocassions. Thus, Arsenal‘s German striker has a better scoring average in finals than Messi in title games, with an average of a goal per final.

Messi has won four Champions League in his career, but only played in three finals—he missed the 2005-06 final with a muscle injury. Having scored twice in three games, he has an average of 0.66 goals in finals.

Havertz tied for third most goals in finals

With his second goal in a final, Havertz has joined an extensive list of players to score two goals in Champions League finals. The list includes the likes of Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Sergio Ramos, and Desire Doue, among many others.

Ronaldo is in the lead thanks to his four tallies (one with Manchester United and three with Real Madrid) in title-deciding showdowns. The Portuguese is followed by Gareth Bale with three goals.

In just the 5th minute of the final between Arsenal and PSG, Havertz gathered a ball in midfield, drove it all the way to the edge of the Parisian box, and executed a fantastic finish to give the Gunners an early lead.

The German international is no stranger to finding the back of the net on European soccer’s biggest stage. In 2021, Havertz scored the lone goal for Chelsea against Manchester City to secure the trophy for the Blues. By scoring today, Havertz becomes only the fourth player in history to score in a Champions League or European Cup final for two separate teams, according to Spanish soccer data analyst MisterChip:

• Velibor Vasovic: Partizan (1966) and Ajax (1969)
• Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United (2008) and Real Madrid (2014, 2017)
• Mario Mandzukic: Bayern Munich (2013) and Juventus (2017)
• Kai Havertz: Chelsea (2021) and Arsenal (2026)

Kai Havertz becomes the first to score for two teams from the same country

As the historical records show, Havertz is the only player among these four icons to score in a Champions League final for two different clubs representing the exact same country. What makes this milestone even more remarkable is that both Chelsea and Arsenal hail from the same city: London.

Back in 2021, Havertz’s final-winning goal also arrived in the first half, though it came much later in the period. In that match, the German star struck in the 42nd minute, providing the solo goal that allowed Chelsea to lift the trophy.

Now, Gunners fans around the globe are hoping that history is firmly on their side. Soccer supporters often look for poetic historical patterns to fuel their optimism, and this incredible milestone is exactly what the Arsenal faithful will cling to as they dream of capturing the very first Champions League title in their club’s history.

Behind the spectacle surrounding the showdown, the UEFA UCL opening ceremony requires a mix of stage designers, lighting engineers, choreographers, broadcast teams, security staff and event coordinators.

Every element is timed to the second, ensuring the performance aligns with global television broadcasts. What once was a simple pre-match presentation has evolved into a large-scale entertainment showcase that blends soccer and music.

How many crew members work on the Champions League final show?

Around 500 to 600 crew members are typically involved in the UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony. The scale of the operation turns a short pre-match performance into a massive live production coordinated by UEFA. This year, The Killers opened the pregame show with the song “When You Were Young.”

In previous editions, the popular organization has confirmed that more than 1000 people have been directly involved in producing the opening show alone, separate from matchday operations and security teams.

According to documented Union of European Football Associations final production structures, the opening ceremony requires a wide network of specialists working simultaneously, including:

• stage designers
• lighting technicians
• choreographers
• sound engineers
• camera operators
• broadcast directors
• production assistants

How is the UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony produced?

The Champions League final opening ceremony is produced through a coordinated collaboration between UEFA, broadcast partners and international live-event production companies.

The process begins months before kickoff with creative planning, concept design and technical mapping of the stadium. Specialist production companies transform the pitch into a temporary concert-grade stage.

This includes installing LED platforms, sound systems, pyrotechnics, lighting rigs and broadcast infrastructure. One of the key production partners frequently involved in recent editions is Balich Wonder Studio. In 2026, it all led to a fantastic show in which The Killers performed four songs.

How long does it take to prepare the Champions League final show?

Preparation for the Champions League final opening ceremony usually takes several weeks in total, with the most intensive stadium setup phase lasting around 5 to 10 days before the match.

While planning and creative development can stretch over months, the physical transformation of the stadium begins shortly before the final. During this period, production teams install the stage, test lighting systems and calibrate sound.

In the final days before kickoff, full run-throughs are completed to synchronize every element of the show with broadcast timing, ensuring the performance ends just minutes before players walk onto the pitch. The Killers’ 2026 pregame show gave plenty to talk about, with positive reactions on social media.

Is the Champions League final opening ceremony live or pre-recorded?

The UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony is performed live inside the stadium, not pre-recorded. Every performance element happens in real time in front of both the crowd and global television audience.

Although some promotional visuals or short video segments may be pre-produced and displayed before the ceremony begins, the actual artistic performance is executed live and tightly synchronized with the broadcast feed.

Dressed in tuxedos and backed by a large ensemble of world-class dancers, the band led by vocalist Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning opened the Arsenal vs. PSG clash with a string of their greatest hits.

Budapest was in a festive mood as thousands of fans sang along to the band’s biggest hits. Here at Bolavip, we take a look at the best memes and reactions from the moment.

Best memes and reactions to The Killers’ performance

Social media quickly became the place where fans shared their memes and reactions to The Killers’ performance at the UEFA Champions League final.

The American band delivered a setlist packed with classic hits, sending everyone in attendance into a frenzy. When You Were Young, Human, All These Things That I’ve Done and Mr. Brightside, the setlist.